Vintage ballpoint signatures, “Paul McCartney,” “John Lennon,” and “George Harrison,” on the reverse of a color 3.5 x 5.5 Bamforth & Co. postcard. Includes a color glossy 3.5 x 5 snapshot photo of Lennon posing with the recipient, Rod Griffin, and two others moments after he signed the postcard, which occurred on August 25, 1967, when the Beatles travelled from London to Bangor, Wales—along with Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Harrison, her sister Jenny, Alexis Mardas, Mick Jagger, and Marianne Faithfull—to attend the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s 10-day conference on Transcendental Meditation. The event was also attended by Griffin, who met the three Beatles upon their arrival. In very good to fine condition, with two punch holes, overall creasing, and a scuff to the letter of Lennon's signature. Accompanied by certificates of authenticity from Tracks and Fab Four Memorabilia Ltd., and by three printed photos of the Beatles arriving at the conference, each of which features an arrow pointing out Griffin.
On August 25, 1967, the Beatles traveled from London to Bangor, Wales, to attend Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s 10-day Transcendental Meditation course. Worn down by years of relentless work and searching for direction after ending live performances in 1966, the band turned to Transcendental Meditation in hopes of finding renewed purpose, balance, and spiritual focus.
The retreat abruptly ended on August 27, when the Beatles received the shocking news that their manager, Brian Epstein, had died in London at the age of 32. Shaken by the sudden loss of the man who had guided their career from obscurity to global fame, the band immediately returned home. Lennon spoke candidly to the press on the band’s grief and Epstein's importance, but in later interviews, he shared a more practical assessment on the loss of their manager: ‘I knew that we were in trouble then. I didn't really have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music, and I was scared. I thought, 'We've fucking had it.’’
In so many words, Lennon made it clear that Epstein served as the brains and organizing force behind the band's success. Without him, they would struggle with the administrative and business aspects of their career, a sentiment that many fans and historians agree ultimately contributed to the band's breakup.
This item is Pre-Certified by Real
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$275.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
